The idea of establishing a research base in Yangshuo was conceived in 2002 when Professor Bao Jigang of Sun Yat-sen University proposed to do so;at that time he was in charge of the tourism planning of the Yulong River. The unique and diverse tourism resources of Yangshuo attracted the attention of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

In 2004, the UNWTO and the Guilin Municipal Government reached an agreement to establish a tourism observatory in Guilin to promote sustainable tourism development, and on July 26, 2005, the world’s first tourism sustainable development observatory was officially established in Yangshuo, and an inauguration ceremony in October 2009 marked the start of long-term sustainable development monitoring in Yangshuo. Since August 2006, the Center of Tourism Development and Research at Sun Yat-sen University has successfully completed the Tourism Sustainability Monitoring in Yangshuo from 2006 to 2022, and its efforts have been fully recognized by the UNWTO for promoting the sustainable development of tourism in Yangshuo. The annual monitoring activities are ongoing with increasing depth, summarizing the successful experience while making suggestions for the problems that arise in the development process. Monitoring activities aim to improve the local sustainable tourism development, and share China’s experience with the UNWTO and other institutes, for instance, the applicant of research indicators.